Toasting Oprah for dedicating yesterday’s show to the topic of diabetes. Thank you, Oprah!

Unfortunately, I tweeted this after I heard about the show from a friend who had not watched the program and before I saw it for myself. Despite my mistake, I do hope you will consider following me on twitter.  I promise that I will not make this mistake again.

Pre-tweet, I had no idea that Oprah’s episode would spark a firestorm in the blogosphere.  I think that the sixuntilme post best summarizes the sentiments of Type 1 Diabetics who saw the program and had strong enough reactions to write or comment on other posts.

For families like ours and the individual living with this chronic illness every day, it is hard not to feel urgent about helping everyone on the planet understand exactly what living with Type 1 Diabetes involves.  When Oprah decides to direct her substantial megaphone to the topic of diabetes education, we are all immediately invested in a deeply personal way.  Honestly, I imagine that it would be hard for Oprah or Dr. Oz to get it exactly right as far as we are concerned because it is simply too close to home.

Nearly all estimates indicate that Type 1 Diabetics make up less than 10% of the entire diabetic population. Understandably, Oprah’s megaphone will be focused on the 90% of Type 2 Diabetics.  I only wish that the megaphone was conveying information exclusively focused on managing and preventing Type 2 Diabetes and not confusing matters by blurring the line between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.  For the Minority Diabetes Population [MDP] forced to live with a lifetime of injections and finger pricks, Oprah’s show was simply unhelpful.

The virtue of reinforcing risk factors for developing Type 2 Diabetes and highlighting key statistics cannot be overstated.  It is critical that sugar addicts like me understand that drinking one fully leaded soda every day translates into an 83% chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes.  After enduring a week of illness, Oprah’s show should be lingering in my head as a source of inspiration or ammunition to eat healthier foods, exercise and generally take better care of myself.  Instead, as the parent of a Type 1 Diabetic, I find myself preoccupied by why it is so important to me that people understand that as a mother, I could not have prevented Elle from getting Type 1 Diabetes.

First, I was struck by the unlikely nature of this gift because a Resolution from the 1st Session of the 111th Congress of the United States it is not exactly a gift.  And it certainly is not something you expect to receive from your mother.  This time of year, mothers are often shopping for holiday presents in more conventional places for more customary gifts – a trip to the mall perhaps for a new watch or maybe a pair of earrings or a new sweater.

Second, receiving this news came as a surprise to me because I absolutely positively never imagined wanting this acknowledgement.  An acknowledgement that came in the form of a United States Senate Resolution officially stating that far too many people are living with diabetes and the disease can be devastating and costly on every level.  As you can imagine, I would much prefer the innocence that characterized my life before Elle was diagnosed.  Christmases of long ago, or before 2007, came complete with a more traditional wish list when what I wanted was a new pair of shoes or an ipod or someone to help me wrap presents.

I do, however, accept this as a gift – a gift that comes in the form of recognition.  For me, the passage of this Resolution was not the act of acknowledging Diabetes Awareness Month.  It was validation delivered in the form of an official declaration.  A statement that this is a tough sentence for every diabetic and his or her loved ones.  It was the reminder that we are not alone – that unfortunately millions of Americans are living with the same burden our family carries and Elle lives with every single minute of every single day at every mealtime and every snack time – ALL THE TIME.

While I never imagined I would find either my mother or myself to be in this unique position, I do feel grateful.  No, I never wanted this and I do question whether I even have the right to “accept” this as a “gift”.  As a declaration of support for our entire family when I am not the one sticking my fingers with a needle 10 times a day or having to force down yogurt in the middle of the night after having had a low blood sugar.  But I am with my daughter every step of the way on this journey – I guess I get this honestly.  As 2010 is upon us, somehow it seems right to consider this Resolution a gift and say thank you.  So…Thank you, Mom.

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